I am well settled back into Shanghai now and as anyone whose been there knows, living in China has its shares of challenges and rewards. One particular challenge is Internet Censorship – The Great Firewall of China ? which blocks out what is deemed undesirable media content in China ? can be a woe to any foreigner trying to access sites like Facebook, Youtube, Google related sites, and a list of blogs. Internet Censorship is like casting a net to catch fish ? other unintended stuff are also caught ? so newbies to China will also find some blogs and sites blocked for no apparent reason.
VPN ? Breaking the Firewalls
One of the better ways to bypass such restrictions is to subscribe to a VPN service. My go-to VPN all these years has been STRONGVPN a reliable and really service oriented VPN service which I have mentioned before. The process is simple ? after paying for your VPN service ? you get details such as your:
- Server
- Username
- Password
Moving up ? A VPN Router for Multiple Devices
However only one username and log in is provided. So when you have multiple devices at home like I do, things get pretty messy. You see, I have 3 computers, 2 iPads and 2 iPhones in the house and when 2 or more devices use a VPN service someone?s device may get bumped out. That?s why I have been looking at VPN routers.
A VPN router accesses the VPN at the source of the router ? so every device that taps onto that router (wired or wirelessly) gets uninterrupted VPN access without having to switch on the VPN service for my ipad/iPhone/Macs.
The Linksys E3000 Router by Sabai Technology
I decided to get the recommended StrongVPN routers by Sabai Technologies to simplify the process. I opted for the Linksys E3000 ($169) :
The Linksys E3000 router is our most popular router model. The Linksys E3000 is a great option for small business networks or personal networks with multiple users. We are now featuring the Sabai Operating System V4, giving customers a multitude of networking options including port forwarding and dual gateway capabilities.
The Linksys E3000 router is rebuilt by our technical staff using the operating system of your choice and thoroughly tested prior to shipping.
Setup and Performance
The VPN was fairly simple to set up and took less than 10 minutes to access the setup page and input my server, username, and password.
I am happy to report that the internet speeds at home have never been better. The E3000 has Dual Radios for 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz transmission (Simultaneous Dual Band) that makes wifi blaze above other typical routers.
Sabai Technology’s Outstanding Service
One thing that really stood out was the pre and after sales support of Sabai Technology. These guys are pretty standup in my books. I chatted with them prior to buying a router and they guys didn?t try to oversell me something I didn?t need. They were patient and really informative. The customer reviews on their website says it all. They are a class act.
Verdict
If you need frequent access to blocked sites and have multiple devices. A VPN router is the way to go if you don?t want to be fiddling much with the router configurations.
Sabai Technology has a range of routers with prices starting from $129 so you will have alternatives. For me, the sleek looking E3000 will be a fixture in my home/office network for a long, long time.
